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CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES. 


BUT MORE PARTICULARLY THOSE 


OF THK 


MIDDLE AND EASTERN STATES 


BY JAMES SLOAN. 


Where Liberty dwells there is my counti'Jr. 

Franklin. 


THIRD EDITION 



PHILADELPHIA, * 


PRINTED OCTOBER 2, 

1812. ' 




ADDRESS, &£. 



Friends and Fellow-Citizens ! 

NOTHING short of an imperious sense of duty* 
could have brought again upon the public stage of action, one* 
whose advanced age had induced a pleasing hope, that his few 
remaining days might have been spent in walking gently and 
peacefully down his western hill, to the house appointed for all 
living ; and, more especially so, when the cause of this address* 
is ihe conduct of that political party, who, twelve years past* 
he exerted all his feeble powers to place at the helm of govern¬ 
ment, fondly hoping, that they, and their successors in office, 
would have fulfilled their promises, in promoting, to the utmost 
of their power, the liberty, prosperity, peace, and independence 
of these United States; and continuing to them, the greatest of 
all earthly blessings, u Peace with all nations—entangling alli¬ 
ances with none”—But, alas! how are the fond hopes and ex¬ 
pectations of millions of the peaceful Citizens of this once happy 
land blasted, by a variety of oppressive measures, and finally a 
declaration of war against the only nation on the globe, who 
from her situation and naval power, appears able to raise an ef¬ 
fective barrier against the colossal power of one, whose conduct 
evinces an insatiable thirst for universal domain ! 

Without impeaching th" motives of those who have held the 
helm of government for fiv£ years past, I propose, in the follow¬ 
ing address, to state a few of the many facts that might be ad¬ 
duced, to shew, thr<t the various restrictive measures that have 
been adopted within that period, have not only been ineffectual 


4 ? 

as to answering the purposes proposed, but, in tlieir effects, much 
more injurious to the morals, interest and prosperity of the Uni¬ 
on, than that of the two great Belligerents—-and, to top the cli¬ 
max of our sufferings, we aVe finally precipitated into a war, 
■where there is nothing to hope, and much to fear ! I, repeat it, 
no rational ground to hope or expect any real benefit; but an ab¬ 
solute certainty of great loss—and a great probability of losing 
our independence, or, at least, that union and harmony that for¬ 
merly subsisted in these United States. 

1st. What hope have we of gain ? The advocates of war say,. 
Canada, and British merchant vessels taken by our privateers. 
To this I reply by a subsequent question—Is there a Christian, 
is there an honest, humane mind, is there a citizen of these 
United States, not wholly lost to a sense of justice, honour, or 
consistency of conduct, who will not, upon a moments reflec¬ 
tion, turn from so nefarious a plan, with detc itation and abhor¬ 
rence ? Did not those noble Patriots, who opposed the tyranny 
of England in the Revolutionary war, declare, that the end for 
which they risqued their fives, and sealed their testimony with 
^ their blood, was to purchase lasting peace for them and their 
posterity ? Did not they and their successors hold up this lan¬ 
guage to the world, that our motto was— u Peace with all na¬ 
tions, entangling alliances with none”—and, consequently, that 
we held all wars, but those only defensive, inadmissible under 
our just and peaceful government? Must this heaven-born lan¬ 
guage, “ Peace on earth, and good will to men,” which hath 
been measurably reduced to practice near thirty years, which 
appears to have drawn down upon us tlje blessings of a just and 
merciful God, insomuth that we have grown and flourished as 
willows by the water-courses; must, I say* this lovely, this Pa- 
radicical scene, be wrested from us, against the will of a great 
majority of our experienced, wise, and virtuous citizens ? Must 
our citizens be hired or compelled to leave their peaceful and 
useful occupations, and the most near and dear connexions in 
life, to learn the art of war, that thereby they may more expedi¬ 
tiously, an Wit ore certainly, murder their fellow-mortals, many 
of whom may be compelled against their will, to stand as marks 
lor those horrid engines of death, which depraved mortals have 
invented to destroy the human species ? Must others, tempted 
by the prospect of gain, be changed from honest and useful citi¬ 
zens into legalized robbers upon the highway of nations, where, 
as on land, if resistance be made, they proceed to murder the 
innocent, following their honest occupation, carrying the product 
of their labour to market, to feed the hungry, and clothe the na¬ 
ked ? forbid it, oh ! thou most gracious and merciful Ruler of 


4 


the Universe !—And you, my dear Fellow-Citizens, I earnestly 
entreat, not only to say—Amen ; but, before it is too late, use 
the peaceable and all-powerful means that our excellent Consti¬ 
tution hath put in your power to forbid it, and thereby restore 
the inestimable blessing of peace to our once happy land. 

Having briefly shewn the immorality of the plan, I will pro¬ 
ceed to state some plain and obvious facts, to shew the uncer¬ 
tainty^' success—1st. As to taking Canada, were the Eastern 
States firmly united with the measure, there would be strong pro¬ 
bability of success ; but their decided opposition, which appears 
to strengthen daily, renders it highly probable, that if per^st^ 
in, the event will be doubtful, but certainly attended with the 
loss of much blood and treasure ; and, if conquered, can only be 
held by a large military force, which must consequently be a 
great expense to the United States. 2d. Respecting gain by pri¬ 
vateering—-A moments reflection upon the present state of the 
navy of England, must convince every unprejudiced mind of the 
futility of that plan. I know the advocates of the war are attempt¬ 
ing to deceive the pedjrtle^ty adducing the success of American 
privateers during the Revolutionary war, either ignorantly or 
wickedly omitting the entire dissimilarity of the case. 1st. Ip* 
that war, the British armies had possession of several of our 
g *eat sea-port towns, to which they were frequently .transporting 
provisions, troops, and military stores, which afforded frequent 
opportunities of captures on our coasts—2d. Divers Islands 
which afforded convenient harbours for our privateers were then 
in possession of our allies ; all of which are now in possession of 
England and her allies—^and, 3d. Three powerful maritime na¬ 
tions, viz. France, Holland, and Spain, were united wit%us 
against England, one of whose fleets (France) menaced the Isl¬ 
and of Great Britain with invasion and plunder, and actually 
compelled their main army to leave Philadelphia precipitately, 
to avoid the capture of their fleet in the D la ware ; and, finally, 
another of their fleets blocked up tffe Bay of Chesapeake, where¬ 
by Cornwallis and his army were captured, which terminated 
the war: whereas the fleets of those nations are ekher annihi¬ 
lated, in alliance with England, or blockaded in their ports, leav¬ 
ing tfyj navy of England completely mistress of both oceans and 
narrow^seas, whereby she will be enabled to send convoys with 
her merchant vessels, sufficiently strong to prevent loss by pri¬ 
vateers. The same reason will enable her, without fear of loss, 
or danger -of capture, to plunder, and, if so disposed, to murder, 
burn and destroy the property of our citizens on our extensive, 
and, in many places, defenceless seaboard. From the foregoing 
brief view of the subject, I trust every candid, impartial mind 


6 


will be convinced, that my position is incontestably proved, 
that in view mg the certain and pro'able consequences of tho 
present war, we have nothing to hope, but much to fear. 

I will now state some important facts, to which I earnestly en¬ 
treat the attention of my Fellow-Citizens, particularly those 
called Democratic Republicans, with whom I was united twelve 
years ago, to procure a change of men and measures, as the on¬ 
ly m ans of preventing the destruction of our excellent Repub¬ 
lican Government, and erecting on its ruins an aristocracy or 
monarchy, and acted with them as long as their measures were 
consistent with the interest of these United States; but, when 
they departed therefrom, and adopted measures injurious to the 
interest, peace, and prosperity of the Union, I opposed them ; * 
and consider myself in duty bound to state such facts as will in¬ 
contestably prove, that the conduct of the said Democratic Re¬ 
publicans hath, been, for five years past, more injurious to the 
interest, peace, and happiness of these United States, and finally 
infinitely more dangerous to our liberty and independence, than 
the conduct of the supporters of that administration, which we 
so strenuously and successfully opposed. 

Of the numerous causes of complaint then made, the following 
wtr- considered the most oppressive, and dangerous to the liber 
ties of the people—Congress debating with closed doors—passin g 
a law for raising 10,000 men—partiality in favour of England— 
misapplication of pu dic money, and bitter invectives again 
France, with circulation of hand-bills, calculated to prepare th 
minds of the people for war with that nation—an alien and sed> 
tioy law, the former 16 expel aliens, the latter to prevent an ir 
vestigation of their conduct—oppressive taxes ; the principal c 
which were stamp tax, excise, salt, refined sugar, riding carr 
age s, and finally a direct tax on houses and land, with a loan fc 
8,000,000 of dollars. Here I beg the attention of my Fellow 
Citizens, to contrast this conduct with that under which we ha\ 
suffered'for five years past. 1st. Debating with closed doors . 
much more frequent; and, what is infinitely more alarming, th 
Iasi session, the right of the minority to debate, and dikeharg 
their duty to their constituents, has been cutoff by the previoi 
question, in the hands of an overwhelming majority. 2d. Ir 
stead of a law for raising 10,000 men, when the United StaL 
army were about 3,000, the last session, when they were abot 
10,000, a law passed for raising 25,000—Hence, instead of ; 
arm v ut 13,000, which so greatly alarmed the people under tl 
administradon of John Adams, under James Madison we ha 
85,000. 3d. Respecting partiality in favour of France, and stren • 


I 


oils exertion to excite war with England-Of the many facts that 
might he adduced, the fifty thousand dollars paid the infamous 
traitor John Henry, and sending, him to France in a national 
armed vessel to prevent investigation, so far surpasses any par¬ 
tiality, or misapplication of public money, that appeared during 
the administration of John Adams, as to render other facts need¬ 
less, that alone being sufficient to excite detestation and abhor¬ 
rence in every virtuous mind. Whereas many of the supporters 
of the present ruinous measures, are deceiving their uninformed 
and unsuspec ting Fellow-Citizens, by positive declarations, that 
the foregoing is not a fact, but a Federal ■ lectioneering lie ; lor 
the information of those who have been, or may be so basely im¬ 
posed upon, I adduce an extract of a letter of Edwin Gray to 
his Constitutents, upon that most important subject, as follows— 
u The communication made by Mr. Madison to congress, in re¬ 
lation to a certain John Henry, an agtnt of tne British Govern¬ 
ment, has excited some interest in the public mind, principally 
on account of the slim of fifty thousand dollars, paid to bun by 
Mr. Madison. The payment of that sum to Henry being doubted 
by many, 1 deem it proper, injustice to all honest men who may 
entertain a doubt on the subject, to assert, that it is a positive 
fact, which could not be denied by' the secretary of State, when 
lately examined by a committee of the senate.” He then pro¬ 
ds to censure severely such unconstitutional and base conduct, 
*?1 concludes with the following words-"* All this demonstrate 
egree of folly so monstrous, that I can conceive nothing.more 
ivous or alarming.” With the aforesaid Edwin Gray I was 
nately acquainted, during the six sessions of Congress, of. 
;h I was a member, and considered hiirbas firm an independ- 
democratic Republican as any in that House, which was bis 
eral character, until the evident departure of the dominant 
*ty from genuine Republi an principles, which became too no-* 
r ious to be concealed frqm public view, in the session of 1807-8 
Vn his honesty compelled him (and divers other Democratic 
publicans) to oppose the commencement of those unconsti- 
onal, impolitic, and ruinous measures, that hath eventually 
*uced these United States to the present deplorable situation. 

I those malignant creatures, who are determined to continue 
•ificing the interest, peace, and happiness of the Union, at the 
ine of party, political rage, it is altogether useless to state even 
-evident facts ; but to the real friends of their country, who 
;U honestly' inquiring after truth, the foregoing statement w ill 
ish conclusive evidence, more especially when they are in- 
ed that the aforesaid Gray re a native of Virginia, his dis¬ 
not far distant from the Federal City, and thatnotwithsiand- 
1 the violent opposition of time-serving Court-Sycophants, his 






unshaken integrity hath so endeared Kira t© his constitutents, 
that he hath been fourteen years elected their representative. If 
tK?re be any who after reading the abovo statement of facts, per¬ 
sist in denying the truth, let such re me inner that by so doing, 
they place our Executive in a most pusillanimous and despicable 
point of view, altogether unfit to preside over a great, free, and 
enlightened people: I mean, by suffering a member of Congress, 
' at the g£at of government, to publish as a fact, an act of the 
President, which if true, must not barely alienate the affections 
of the people from him, but fill every honest mind with detesta- 
4 lion aneKabhorrence. 

Although the various taxes beforementioned are not yet laid, 
% they have been brought before the house, postponed to next sit¬ 
ting, and must inevitably be then laid if the war is continued, 
A law has passed and a loan opened for eleven millions of dol¬ 
lars, and tor issuing Treasury notes to the amount of five mil¬ 
lions of dollars—a most alarming and dangerous plan, by whiqh 
the United States may be involved in a debt which they will 
never be $ble to discharge. Hence it appears that every oppres- 
**jSTve measure complained of under John Adams’s administrations 
is revived, or must shortly be, ih case the war continues, except 
the Alien and Sedition laws, for which there appear two sub¬ 
stitutes infinitely more dangerous, viz. issuing Treasury Notes ; 
and, instead of sending Aliens away, permitting them effectually 
to destroy investigation of the conduct of our public servants, 
freedom of speech and of the press, by destroying the latter, and 
inhumanly murdering some of those who had exercised their 
unalienable right.in the former—witness the late riots in Balti¬ 
more—equalled only by^the horrid murders of Robespierre in 
France ; and a similar disposition evident in divers other places, 
by the advocates of the present ruinous measures. 

I will now proceed to state some facts to prove, that the re¬ 
strictive measures that have been adopted for five years past, 
have instead of proving beneficial to the United States, been al¬ 
together the reverse, by strengthening the power oi\ England, 
and weakening our own. 1st. Prohibiting a lucrative trade to 
St. Domingo; and secondly, Laying an Embargo in the session 
of 1807-8, which continued more than fifteen months, and threw 
both the direct and carrying trade principally into the hands of 
English merchants, which raised their shipping fifty per cent; 
whilst ours Were cither rotting in our harbours, or compelled by 
necessity, to carry on what our impolitic and oppressive laws 
termed an illicit-trade. In like manner many of our brave sea¬ 
men, deprived of employment, were compelled by necessity to 


9 


seek it in British vessels ; by which many more were forced 
from the service of their country than by impressment. Thus 
was our ship-carpenters deprived of employment; our farmers 
in the old and improved parts of the country, deprived of the 
means ol paying their rents, and other contracts, for want of a 
market for the product of their labour ; whilst various articles 
which custom and habit had rendered necessaries of life, were 
increased in price fifty to a hundred per cent-—the hopes of the 
settlers of our extensive western country blasted, by the means 
of paying for their land by the product of their labour being cut 
off: hence numerous petitions to Congress for longer time, 
which they were under the necessity of granting, and thereby 
suspending a considerable portion of the annual revenue. To 
give, in detail, a list of all the impolitic, and evidently partial, 
and oppressive measures, that have been adopted since the at¬ 
tempt to pass a Court Martial Law in the session of 1806-7, 
would exceed the bounds of this address, in which I mean to 
be as brief as possible consistent with my duty. 

I shall therefore in general terms say, that since that peripd, 
the administration and its supporters (however pure their mo¬ 
tives may have been) have adopted measures altogether incon¬ 
sistent with the interest, peace, and happiness of these United 
States ; that divers of those measures have operated partially, 
and therefore unjustly, upon different sections of the Union; 
the restrictions upon trade being rather a suspension of profit 
to the rich planters in the Southern States than a prohibition: 
whereas in the maritime. Middle, and Eastern States, it not on¬ 
ly stops their growth and prosperity, but deprives many thous¬ 
ands of their citizens of the means of procuring their bread. I 
cannot injustice here omit mentioning the partial operation of 
the late embargo, laid at a season of the year when the rivers of 
the Middle and Eastern States were frozen ; whilst the South¬ 
ern States, who usually thresh their wheat in the field, and other 
produce being ready for market, were thereby enabled to ex¬ 
port great quantities previous to said embargo. Upon the 
whole, I consider the late measures, completed by a declaration 
of war against England, as unjust and oppressive as the tyran¬ 
ny of the King of Egypt to the Jews, who, after depriving them 
of part of the means to make brick, viz. straw, demanded of 
them the full toil. Thus hath the aforesaid restrictive measures 
deprived these United States of the principal means of carrying 
on a war, I mean its revenue, and with an exhausted treasury, 
our infatuated rulers have rushed into war, commanding the 
people to support it without the means f 

Jft 


10 


Here it may be proper to inform my fellow-citizens of the 
state of our funds previous to the first : embargo, which, not hav¬ 
ing a statement before me, I must do from memory, which* 
if correct, was upwards of seventeen millions of dollars, and had 
there been no impolitic restrictive measures adopted by our 
rulers, to the present time, would doubtless have exceeded 
twenty millions, which with proper economy, would have dis¬ 
charged the greatest part of our national debt, and placed us in 
a proper situation to meet war, in case that should prove inevi¬ 
table, with'a full treasury, and a united people, which would 
have presented so formidable a phalanx to an invading foe, as 
to cause them speedily to repent of their temerity— 1 ut oh, how 
dreadful a contrast does the state of our treasury present, and 
the situation in which young and inexperienced counsellors, 
dandled in the lap of Pleasure, aqd fed at the table of Luxury, 
like those whose counsel to Rehoboam in days of old, deprived 
him of ten out of twelve tribes, or those of a recent date, who, 
in conjunction with the young Amazonian Queen of Prussia, pre¬ 
vailed upon the King to risque a battle with Bonaparte, contrary 
to the advice of his old experienced officers. The consequence 
proved fatal. In a few hours reduced that once powerful king¬ 
dom, that had held the balance of power in Europe, to a state 
of perfect vassalage, to that tyrant into whose scale our rulers 
have most impoliticly and dangerously thrown our weight! The 
foregoing, aided by foreigners, divers of .them editors of news¬ 
papers, of so vindictive'a disposition, that they would sacrifice 
the interest, peace, and happiness of the Union, to gratify their 
hatred to a nation that had injured them or their friends, have 
forced the United States into the present war ; contrary to the 
counsel of age and experience ; which hath uniformly been to 
refrain from interfering either directly or indirectly with the 
wars of any European power. 

J 

Whether there is at present, or any future prospect of an al¬ 
liance with France, I know not; but this is a self-evident fact, 
that by declaring war against England, it as effectually aids and 
assists France, to destroy that power, as if our situation^ was 
such, that our American army.and that of France, were united 
together in one field of battle. 

Here my clear fellow-citizens, fet me beg your attention to 
some most important questions. Is not the British naval pow¬ 
er the only apparent or visible barrier against thr: ambitious de¬ 
signs of Bonaparte, which is evidently to render subs rvient to 
his will all the nations of the earth ? This question answered in 
the affirmative (which none can contradict) opens the way. to a 




11 


second, and that fb a third. Is not the naval power of England 
open to the view, and consequently permitted by that Almighty 
Power that rules in heaven, aud doeth whatsoever it sees meet 
in the kingdoms of the earth? If so, have we not cause to fear 
that by rushing into the present war, we may be found fighting 
against God, and liable to the fate of one formerly (Josiah, king 
of Judah) who having for a time been blessed with peace and 
plenty, became exalted in his mind, slighting those inestimable 
blessings, he determined to fight with a King, who strove to 
avoid it by all honourable means in his power? Like Great 
Britain, who hath done less injury, and appeared more amicably 
disposed for several years past before war was declared, than 
she hath done since we were an independent nation : this the 
treatment of our vessels and seamen, and the conduct of her 
late minister incontestably proves. 

I might here acid, a number of laws passed, and attempted to 
be passed, more dangerous in their effects, and more oppressive 
and tyrannical than any passed during the administration of John 
Adams ; but I trust the facts already stated, are sufficient to con¬ 
vince every honest impartial mind, that the inestimable blessing 
of peace, union, and prospt$ity, can only be restored by a change 
of measures, which can only be effected by a change of men. 
To effect this most desirable purpose, it is necessary for you my 
fellow citizens of the Middle and Eastern States, to assume your 
proper station, exercise those unalienable rights which our ex¬ 
cellent constitution secures to all, I mean a majority of free citi¬ 
zens, to choose our public servants, and remove them as soon as 
they betray the trust reposed in them. Reject with the contempt 
they deserve those Federal City caucuses, those works of dark¬ 
ness, where minority s (many of whom have been basking in the 
sunshine of Executive patronage, enjoying, or expecting in case 
of re-election, places of profit or honour, for them or their f riends) 
in secret conclave assume a power never delegated to them, that 
of dictating to the Union who should he our next President, 
This I know to be the case, through the blind infatuation produ¬ 
ced by political party virulence./The Middle and Eastern States, 
Democratic Republicans, have been induced to vote in those cau¬ 
cuses with the Southern, contrary both to the interest of their 
/ constitutents, and their own judgment and inclination, attempting 
to cover their breach of trust and injustice, under the specious 
pretext t>f unity, to prevent the Federalists from obtaining thejr 
former power. This unjust conduct placed James Madison in 
the presidential chair, and retained the seat ol' government in a 
place calculated to carry on such intrigues, and if not removed. 


12 


will ere long deprive the Middle and Eastern States of their li¬ 
berty and independence !—I am bold to say, that had an eastern 
President been chosen last election, and the seat of government 
removed to Philadelphia, where the Representatives of the peo¬ 
ple could have had correct information of the opinion of their 
constitutents, and legislated publicly before a free people, procur¬ 
ing their bread by some useful occupation; instead of secretly 
with closed doors, surrounded by slaves and slave holders, and 
a set of war hawks, and other idle drones ; who determined to 
counteract the will of their Creator in procuring their bread by 
the sweat of their brows, are perpetually striving to produce war, 
or any other evil change, that may increase offices, and thereby 
enable them to live in pride and luxury, upon the product of the 
labour, of honest, industrious, and virtuous citizens. I am fully 
convinced, had that been the case, that instead of the deplorable 
situation to which we are reduced, our public debt would have 
been principally discharged, and a surplus in our treasury to 
have applied to the improvement of canals, and roads, whereby 
our citizens would have been united together and the inestima¬ 
ble blessing of peace, love, and harmony, would have smiled on 
our land! 

Before I conclude, let me again my dear fellow citizens, re¬ 
mind you of the real cause that hath produced our present ever- 
to-be lamented, and most deplorable situation; which will conse¬ 
quently discover the only certain remedy—the cause is a contra¬ 
vention of the just principle of our Constitution, that a majority' 
shall rule. In contradiction of this genuine republican principle, 
a minority hath, for at least five years past ruled the destinies of 
this great nation : and what hath greatly increased and aggrava¬ 
ted the evil is, that the local situation, manners, habits, and cus¬ 
toms, of that minority, renders them altogether improper, and 
unequal to the task of governing a great, free, and enlightened, 
agricultural and commercial people. The minority alluded to 
are those States south-west of the State of Delaware, whose elec¬ 
tors in the ensuing election for President (exclusive of Orleans, 
not yet organized) will be ninety : whereas, the Middle and 
Eastern States have one hundred and twenty-five, giving a majo¬ 
rity of thirty five, which injustice ought to be fifty-five, because 
all least twenty of the ninety before mentioned, are upon the po¬ 
pulation of slaves, thus increasing the power of the oppressors 
upon the sufferings of the oppressed ! But perhaps some may 
query how a minority can rule, where, a plurality of votes decide 
the question ? I answer by assigning two facts within my know* 
icdge 1st. The weight of Executive influence ; and, 2d. The 


13 


virulence of party politics beforementioned. At the shrine of 
these two political daemons have I beheld with sorrow and in¬ 
dignation, the interest of the Middle and Eastern States sacri¬ 
ficed, and finally, the lovely smiles, the choicest, the most ines¬ 
timable of all earthly blessings, peace, rent from us against the 
will of a great majority of our citizens ; and replaced by the 
greatest of all earthly curses, that inhuman horrible monster, 
the infernal fiend of War ! 

Having pointed out the cause of the sufferings of far the 
greater part of the industrious, and, therefore, the most useful 
citizens of these United States, it remains to point out tht: reme¬ 
dy ; which is so plain, and easy to be understood, that it need 
only be mentioned to carry conviction, and meet the approba- * 
tion of every honest, impartial mind. Let us evince by our 
conduct, that we are not barely nominal, but real disciples of the » 
Prince of Peace ; and governed by his spirit, are determined, in 
future, to lay aside party political enmity, and unite as a band 
of brothers, to use jointly the peaceable means which our Con¬ 
stitution hath secured to us, to remove the present, and prevent 
future evils of greater magnitude. I mean by the Middle and 
Eastern States (who, as hath been shewn, are a great majority) 
uniting together at the ensuing election, to place in the Pr esi¬ 
dential Chair, Dewitt Clinton, of the State of New-York ; 
whose local situation, and education in the genuine principles of 
liberty, must consequently render him more suitable to preside 
over a great, industrious, free, and enlightened people, than one, 
whose education and local situation hath had a tendency to bias 
the mind in favour of that anti-christian, tyrannical, and inhu¬ 
man principle of slavery of the human species, contrary to that 
heaven-born language contained in our Declaration of Indepen¬ 
dence— u We hold this truth to- be self-evident, that God hath 
created all men equal, and endowed them with certain unalien¬ 
able rights, amongst which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of 
happiness.” 

If the present President should be re-elected, it is morally 
certain, that war, with all its consequent evils, will be continued, 
to the great injury and probable ruin of these United States-r- 
but if Dewitt Clinton should be elected, peace upon honor¬ 
able terms will be restored ; commerce, on which depends the 
prosperity of the Middle and Eastern States, encouraged and 
supported ; genuine Republican principles reduced to practice, 
by a majority of free citizens bearing rule, which would restore 
to our Government its former strength and energy, supported 
by the confidence and love of the people. 


14 


The foregoing statement of facts, with the inevitable attend* 
ant consequences that hath already brought these United States 
to the brink of ruin, and, if persisted in, must shortly complete 
the dreadful scene, and exhibit to the world a more horrid tra¬ 
gedy than any recorded in history; that of the fairest and most 
hopeful fabric of human wisdom and virtue—the hope, the won¬ 
der and delight of the virtuous, the wise, and the good of all na¬ 
tions, laid in ruins, by the administration being placed in the 
hands of those, who pretend to be friends to liberty and the 
equal rights of man, but whose conduct prove them to be unjust, 
tyrannical oppressors of the human species ! I earnestly recom¬ 
mend to the serious attention of all, but more particularly the 
citizens of the Middle and Eastern States, who, at the ensuing 
election, will have it in their power to determine, whether their 
interest, rights and liberties, which, for five years past hath 
been sacrificed to party political rage ; whether the reins of 
Government shall remain in the hands of pretended republicans, 
but whose conduct pollutes the name; whether those unjust, 
oppressive, unconstitutional, and tyrannical measures, which, as 
before mentioned, hath brought this nation to the brink of ruin, 
.with the additional horrors of war, shall be continued ; or whe¬ 
ther, by uniting together as a band of brothers, determined to 
revive and cherish the sacred flame of liberty, we shall restore 
the inestimable blessing of peace, attended with love and har¬ 
mony amongst the citizens of our beloved country. That the 
God of peace, mercy and truth, may incline your hearts to the 
latter, is the fervent prayer of your aged and ever affectionate 
Fellow-Citizen, 

JAMES SLOAN. 

P. S. Since the foregoing Address was penned, the account 
of the capture of Gen. Hull, and his Army, has been published, 
which is such an indubitable proof of either the ignorance or 
wickedness, or both, of those who have rushed into a war, 
without the wisdom or means to carry it on to effect, that it 
needs no explanation or comment to inform or convince every 
honest and real friend to his country, that it can only be savecl 
from total ruin, by a speedy change of men and measures. 

Sept. 7, 1812, 

J 

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